Car-coupling



(No Model.)

L. WILKERSON.

CAR GOUPLING.

No. '271,'179. PaJtQnted Ja11.23,1883.

y MIA? )i y w I@ I w J2 o V@ (1 /F o?? f 5f Mmm. ga/@M .ATTORNEY the under side of the draw-head, and is moved UNITEDV STATES PATENT @Trient LAFAYETTE IVILKERSON, OF SUIPIO, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

' SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,179, dated January 23, 1883, Application filed November 27, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE WILKER- SON, of Scipio, in the county of Jennings and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and Ido hereby declare the followingto bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings; and it consists, rst, in the combination of a suitable yoke or frame, which is attached to the coupling-pin, with a slotted spring-actuated pivoted lever, which is connected to the yoke at its front end and with an operating rod or bar at its rear end, and which-lever is provided with a spring-latch for holding the pin in a raised position ready to cou ple second, a spring-block, which is placed inside of the draw-head, and which moves back and forth therein, carrying a tripping device, in combination with the pivoted spring-actuated lever, provided with a spring-latch for holding the coupling-link in a raised position, all ot' which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupling which can be set from the side of the car without the necessity of the brakeman having to go in between them,A and which coupling will automatically connect the cars when they run together.

Figure l is a side elevation of a coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2is an inverted view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a iront view. Fig. 4 is a detail'view.

A represents the body of a car, to which the draw-head B is loosely attached, so thatit can move back and forth in between its guides a. Inside of the draw-head is placed a springactuated block, C, against which theinner end of the link strikes when the cars run together, and which block isforced backward far enough to trip the lever, which holds the link in an elevated position. Secured to this block is the tripping device D, which extends along on back and forth by the block. The couplingpin consists of an ordinary pin having a wing or ange formed on its rear side, and which wing or ange forms a shoulder at its lower end' to catch over the end of the link for the purpose of holding the link in position, ready to couple with cars having either a higher or a lower draw-head than the draw head in which the coupling-link is held.

Inside of the draw-head, in front of the spring-actuated block, is a suitable recess, in which the inner end of the coupling-link can be depressed, so as vto throw up the front end of the link, and thus adapt it to couple with higher draw-heads. This coupling-pin is connected to the yoke E, which passes down over opposite sides of the draw-head, and which yoke is held in a vertical position by means of the guiding-recesses which are formed in the sides of the draw-head.

Connected to the lower end ofthe yoke is the slotted pivoted leverV F, which has the spring G placed Linder it, near its front end, for the purpose of keeping' the front end depressed,

and thus pulling the pin down through the draw-head. When the front end of' this pivotedlever is raised upward the coupling-pin and the yoke are raisedv at the same time, so as to either set the pin ready to couple when the cars run together or to release the coupling-link already held in the draw-head. This lever has a short slot made through its front end, so that it will allow the yoke a free play, and has a second and much longer slot made through its rear end for the operating rod or bar to pass through. This lever is pivoted near its center upon the hanger I, which is rigidly secured to the under side of the drawhead. When the draw-head is moved back and forth the operating cranked rod or barremains stationary, while the pivoted lever slides freely back and forth over the cranked portion of the rod by means ot a long slot through its rear end. This cranked operating -rod serves simpl y to raise the rear end of the pivoted lever upward, thereby raising the yoke and pin and throwing the outer end ofthe link up or down. As the ends ot the operating rod or lever extend out to the sides of the car, and then are turned downward, or they are given a convenient form or shape, so that they can be taken hold of for the purpose of setting the pin or releasing the couplinglink, there is no necessity for the brakeman going between the cars to couple them together.

In order to hold the conplingpin in an elevated position, ready to couple when the cars run together, the pivoted lever is provided with a spring-catch, O, which catches in the loop I?, secured to the under side of the drawhead. This spring-catch holds the front end of the lever, the yoke, and the pin in an elevated position until the link enters the draw head and forces back the springactuated block inside of the draw-head. As this spring-block moves backward the tripping device connected to it is drawn backward at the same time, and this tripping device catches the springcatch and trips it from the loop P, when the spring placed under the lever immediately throws down the front end of thelever, the yoke, and the pin, and couples the cars together.

Each coupling-link has an iron plate, It, fastened to it near its center, and to one end of this plate is fastened a chain for the purpose of connecting the link tothe car. By thus chaining the links to the car there is no danger of their being stolen, and thelinks are always there ready for use. When the link is not used it may be hung upon a hook upon the end ol" the car, provided for that purpose.

These iron plates also serve to protect the ends of the draw-'head from being battered and injured when the cars run together. The battering which would otherwise come upon the ends of the. heads then comes upon this plate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim.-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination ofthe spring-actuated pivoted lever, attached to the under side of the draw-head, and having the yoke and pin attached to its frontend,and provided with a spring-catch, with the spring-actuated hlock placed inside ot' the draw-head, and having a tripping device secured toit, lsubstantially as shown. i

2. The combination ofthe draw-head, which is movable back and forth, the pivoted lever connected thereto, and having the yoke and pin connected toits frontend andaslot through its rear end, with the cranked lever, which is secured to the under side of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAFAYETTE vviLKERsoN.' 

